By Abiola Olawale
A gathering of eminent Nigerians made up of Biodun Jeyifo, a distinguished Professor at Harvard University specializing in African and African American Studies, immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, chief executive officer of RadioNow, Kadaria Ahmed, renowned poet, author, and political scientist, Odia Ofeimun, and the co-founder of the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, Chiamaka Okafor, amongst others have expressed their admiration for Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature, Wole Soyinka, as he celebrated his 90th birthday.
The Speakers who showered salutations on Soyinka while giving their respective speeches at an event which was held at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos State and themed: “The Death of Truth? Realism, literature, and journalism in an age of disinformation” were united in the view that celebrating Soyinka at 90 was a worthwhile initiative. The event was held in honour of Soyinka at 90.
The Keynote Speaker, Jeyifo and the panelists, at the event, emphasized the absence of the identified markers, critical thinking, introspection, verification and media literacy in the society which has led to an increase in disinformation in the digital age.
Jeyifo, a radical critic, scholar, and public intellectual, emphasized that the intertwining of truth and falsehood propels the world deeper into what he termed “a dystopia of lies.”
He expressed his concerns about the potential perils associated with the proliferation of global misinformation and falsehood.
According to Jeyifo, a former lecturer at Cornell University in Ithaca, U.S.A. and the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Nigeria, respectively, some propagandists are actively leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliberately distort the boundaries between truth and falsehood.
He specifically accused former President of the United States and current Republican candidate, Donald Trump, as well as Elon Musk, the owner of the micro-blogging platform X, among other prominent figures, as key contributors to the dissemination of falsehoods.
He also observed that some governments globally utilize disinformation to mislead other nations and their populace.
He postulated: “Among the innumerable signs some stand out for their lack of any precedence. There are toxic social media with their ubiquitous and endless streams of conspiracy theories that seem to pose the greatest danger.
“But there are other equally frightening signs and acts. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who has wealth that is perhaps greater than any plutocrat the world has ever seen, is an avid and rabid purveyor and spreader of falsehoods.
“A former president of the United States, Donald Trump – who seems poised to be re-elected for a second term – is perhaps the greatest liar, the most unashamed producer of falsehoods among rulers now and in the past.
“Moreover, many governments and states, on all the continents but principally in Europe and Asia, use disinformation as an invasive weapon to intervene in the politics and economies of other nations and their states and among their populations.
“In addition to all these, there is the unique danger and portent in AI which, more than cloning, more than genetically modified crops, seems also poised to erase any distinctions that remain between Truth and Falsehood. So are we seeing the slow death twitches of Truth? Is the ultimate triumph of Falsehood about to happen?”
Jeyifo also lauded Soyinka as a notable contributor to the development of Nigeria and one of the foremost literary figures, humanitarians, and advocates on the global stage.
According to him, Soyinka’s enduring legacy will serve as a source of inspiration and a call to action for future generations.
Also speaking, Odia Ofeimun emphasized the perpetual confrontation between truth and falsehood, asserting that at the end society will witness the ultimate triumph of truth.
He articulated the view that the preservation of humanity hinges on upholding the truth, emphasizing that falsehoods not only distort the truth but also sidestep it.
Ofeimun. Pointificated: “Truth does not die. Whatever impinges on the truth may attempt to change it.
“But like gold, it can be recovered from general archaeology. And when truth fails, all of life fails.”
On her part, Kadaria Ahmed, CEO, of RadioNow 95.3FM argued that the truth is not dead, but it is on life support.
Reflecting on the keynote address, Ahmed said defending the truth requires personal and internal self-examination.
She explained : “The Nigerian media mention Fulani Herdsmen but do not have Igbo Gunmen or Yoruba Yahoo Boys.
“We think we are fighting something, but we are mostly becoming what we think we are fighting.”
Chiamaka Okafor, another panellist and co-founder of, the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue Foundation, noted that disinformation thrives in a vacuum created by a lack of trust.
She implored participants on the need for self-reflection and media education to promote critical thinking, helping people understand and fact-check the information they encounter.
She said: “There is an ongoing power tussle between the truth and falsehood,” Okafor said, just as she lamented what she called “the monetisation of social media platforms”, which, according to her, has made spreading falsehoods a lucrative venture, “turning influencers into ‘influenza’ who get paid for disseminating lies.”
The New Diplomat reports that the event was attended by creme-de-la-creme including former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and his wife, Dr Bisi Fayemi; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola; former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Duro Oni; President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Sola Akinrinade; and the Secretary, Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Olakunbi Olasope.
